Pressure for the Truth: Why Human Rights Defenders Sound the Alarm Over a New Wave of Persecution of Activists in Russian Regions

Human rights organisations are recording a sharp intensification of repression against national minority representatives and civic activists who openly oppose the war and defend the rights of indigenous peoples. Under the guise of “fighting extremism,” local security forces conduct searches, detain citizens, and fabricate criminal cases against anyone trying to publicly speak about socio-economic problems or forced mobilisation in national republics. A particularly alarming situation has emerged in the Volga region and Siberia, where authorities are attempting to completely shut down any space for independent discussions.

Source Link: Human rights organisations’ reports on freedom of speech and persecution